"I firmly believe that this is the right thing to do for the country at this time," said Brig. Gen. Dennis J. Hejlik, commander of Marine Corps Special Operations Command. "This irregular warfare is here to stay. If we don't start to go that way, where the force is more joint and more capable across the spectrum, that's not a good thing."
MARSOC, will formally stand up its headquarters Feb. 24 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Over the next five years, it will grow to an end strength of 2,600 people. This will include 24 foreign military training units that will deploy worldwide in support of U.S. Special Operations Command and the various combatant commanders, he said.
The Marine special operations battalion will include four Marine special operations companies, the core of which will be experienced force reconnaissance Marines taken from the mainstream Marine Corps. "There's a lot of capability there, because they're a little bit older; they're a little bit more mature," said Hejlik.
The Marine special operations companies will deploy with Marine expeditionary units. Once deployed, the companies will under operational control of the special operations commander in theater, but be available to support the MEU if needed.
Marines will only spend three to five years in MARSOC and then will be rotated back into the regular Marine Corps. This rotation will benefit the entire force, because young Marines will be trained to a higher standard in MARSOC and will bring those skills to other units, he said. It will also prevent Marines from becoming stagnant in one unit and give them opportunities for advancement and education, he said.
"If you take a quality Marine and you bring him up to a little higher standard using (special operations forces) standards, and you give him the right equipment, he is unbeatable".
I think you entered my blog today! Thank you. You know? I used to go every summer to Cork, Bishopstown. That's where I learned my English!!
ReplyDeleteNo way did you learn English in Bishopstown: your grammer seems perfect. You're welcome anyway!
ReplyDeletelol.
ReplyDeleteNice put-down, I never quite got the hang of the Bishopstown grammar either
:-p
When is operational deployment scheduled sir?
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know MARSOC already has three FMTUs that will deploy in 2006 and 2007. The Marine special operations battalion will eventually include four Marine special operations companies, each with 97 to 118 people, depending on mission requirements.
ReplyDeleteThe core of these companies will be experienced Force Recon Marines taken from the mainstream Marine Corps. The first Marine special operations company will not be formed until May 2006 at Camp Lejeune.
I'll bet they won't leave men behind!
ReplyDeleteSince 2nd Force Recon has been disbanded, will the operators be drawn from Bn. Recon instead?
ReplyDeletewhat kind of training and indoctrination processes should applicants for MARSOC be aware of sir?
ReplyDeleteAt the moment they're more or less the same as those for Force Recon, however there is more emphasis on working with Joint Special Operations from other services to form a cohesive unit as often in today's battleground no one service component finds itself on it's own.
ReplyDeleteOperator's should be in charge of operators.
ReplyDeleteit's said to believe the "Marsoc" commander hejlik didn't like force recon marines nor did he like the fact that those marines were going to become a part of sof. is there a chance you could clear that up?
ReplyDeleteMy son is a Recon Marine in CA (1stRB), but was just told he was selelcted to try out for MARSCOC. He's a very squared away Marine, and our entire family of former Marines is proud of him.
ReplyDeleteWill MarSOC Marines use SOF gear like the FN SCAR? Or will the SOF Marines still be equiped by regular USMC?
ReplyDelete